Jeremiah 51

Jeremiah 51:1-58

This chapter is a continuation of the former prophecy against Babylon.

1. Her ruin is as large for forth, vers. 1-58. 2. The reexamination of it by a fign, vers. 59-64.

2. THUS faith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the 1 midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; 2. And will send unto Babylon ‘fannors, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. 3. Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifeeth himself up in his brigandine; and spare ye not her young men, destroy ye utterly all her host. 4. Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. 5. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the holy One of Israel. 6. ‘Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity: for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance: he will render unto her a recompense. 7. ‘Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. 8. ‘Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her, take a balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. 9. We would have healed Babylon, but that is not healed: for a fake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her indulgent reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up a man to the slain. 10. The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. 11. ‘Make bright the arrows: gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. 12. ‘Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and taken that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13. O thou that dwelleit upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetouineis. 14. The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. 15. ‘He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. 16. When he intereth as voice, there is a 5 multitude of waters in the heavens, and he caute the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 17. ‘Every man is a brutish by his knowledge, every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is fallowed, and there is no breath in them. 18. They are vainly, the world of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 19. The portion

portion of Jacob is not like them, for he is the former of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts in his name. 20. “Thus are my battle-ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms: 21. And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider, and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider. 22. With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman, and with thee will I break in pieces old and young, and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid: 23. I will also break in pieces with thee the Shepherd and his flock, and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen, and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. 24. And I will render unto Babylon, and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, all their evil that they have done in Zion in your fight, saith the LORD. 25. Behold, I see against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyed all the earth, and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. 26. And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD. 27. Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Avarar, Minni, and Affechenaz, appoint a captain against her, cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillars. 28. Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Modes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion. 29. And the land shall tremble and forrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. 30. The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds, their might hath failed, they became as women: they have burnt her dwelling-places, her bars are broken. 31. One path shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at our end. 32. And that the passages are stopped, and the roads they have burnt with her, and the men of war are affrighted. 33. For thus saith the LORD of hosts the God of Israel, The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-door, is it is time to stretch her: yet a little while, and the time of her farewell shall come. 34. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out. 35. The violence done to me and to my flesh, be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. 36. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold I will plead thy castle, and take vengeance for thee, and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. 37. And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing without an inhabitant. 38. They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions whelps. 39. In their heart I will make their seals, and I will make them drunken, that they may repose and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. 40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats. 41. How is Shefshack taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations! 42. The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. 43. Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doeth any sea of man pass thereby. 44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up, and and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him, yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. 45. My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the force anger of the LORD. 46. And I left your heart faint, Yos. II.

and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land: a rumour shall both come see year, and after that in another year, shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler. 47. Therefore behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon, and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. 48. Then the heaven, and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD. 49. As Babylon hath carried the slain of Israel to fall: so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the § earth. 50. Ye shall have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. 51. We are confounded, because we have heard reproach, shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house. 52. Wherefore behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan. 53. Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD. 54. A sound of a cry cravate from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans. 55. Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice, when her waves do roar like great waters, a mole of their voice is uttered. 56. Because the spoiler is come upon her, roar upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken, for the LORD God of recompense shall surely requite. 57. And I will make drunk her princes, and her wife men, her captains and her rulers, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 58. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burnt with fire, and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

For the comfort of God’s people, and the confusion of his enemies, the destruction of this proud city is at large inflicted on.

1. God sends forth and commissions the Modes and Persons to destroy Babylon: like a whirlwind they shall sweep the earth, and fester the Chaldeans as chief, v. 1, 2, murdering all who dared resist them, without mercy or pity, v. 3. The Persian standard is erected, and multitudes fixed to it, thick as the caterpillars or locuits cover the ground, v. 27, 28, for when God hath work to do, instruments shall never be warning.

2. Notwithstanding all the former might of this broad city, it shall now be weak, and unable to resist. Once God had clothed her with strength, and as his battle-ax, v. 10. One has to break in pieces the nations, these forces, and all their inhabitants small and great, v. 21—23, but now in vain they prepare their weapons of war, and furnish their armour, rally with long peace: in vain they creat their standard, and summon their soldiers to attend, to guard the walls, or prepare an embush for their enemies, v. 11, 12. Their courage is utterly failed, they are become as innocuous as women, and fall without resistance, v. 24, 30. So safely on God, when he tends his terrors forth, make cowards of the herself.

3. The provocation Babylon had given was great: her fine cried to heaven for vengeance, v. 9. (1.) They have risen up against me, v. 1. in daring rebellion against God, and defiance of his power. (2.) Babylon is a golden cup, that made all the earth drunken, v. 7. She hath been the head seat of idolatry, and the great conspirals to all the nations over whom her power extended; by force or fraud engaging them to partake of her abominations, and, like her, become mad upon idols. (3.) Her incorrightments: He would have healed Babylon, but for it not healed, v. 9. The faithful among the Jews that dwelt there would have turned them from their idolatrics, but they were hardened in them. Though this may also be understood of her auxiliary forces, who in vain attempted to rescue her from ruin, her time to fall being come. (4.) Her ceremonies was inflatable, v. 13, grasping still at farther conquests and spoils. (5.) Her tyranny over God’s people: As a demon, Nebuchadnezzar had swallowed and devoured them; broke all their bones as a lion; marched them of all their was valuable; for which violence and bloodshed, the inhabitants of Zion impresses; left vengeance upon their ravagers; and their appeals of God’s oppressed people shall not be long unanswered.

4. God in just judgment brings on Babylon the terrible ruin she hath provoked by her fire against the ship One of Israel, v. 2.

Before Christ the a Chap. L. 1. 1. Hebr. Veh come. a He stirs. 2. A. 6. 1. 3. Rev. veh. 10. a Chap. L. 1. 4. Or, hath Babylon is in full, O ye the of H. real, and with Bony on, do. 5. Or man by. a Deceased. 6. Lam. ii. 7. a Ver. 47. a He stirs 1—12. One of 2, 3. Obed. 4. a Chap. L. 6. a Thal. 1. 6. Ver. 39. a Or, the wills of wood Balyne. 1 Or, made adopt 2 Hebr. ii. 7.

He will plead the cause of his distressed people, who seemed to be dejected and forsaken, and will take vengeance for them, v. 37. The time is fixed in the divine decree, v. 6. when the wrongs of Zion shall be required, v. 24, 15. and God’s people shall see the day, when Babylon shall fall as the skin of Israel, who fell by her sword, v. 49. And this is the work of the Lord, and to be declared in Zion to his praise, vindicating his people’s cause, v. 10. and with a mighty and out-freeked arm punishing their foes. He hath sworn their destruction, v. 14. and is fully able to execute his threatenings, being the almighty Lord, the maker and governor of all, whom heaveth and earth obey, and against whom the Babylonish idols can avail nothing, v. 15-19. As he had before declared, chap. 2, 12-13, where the very same expressions are valid as here. When this Lord of holds arises, sure desolation marks his way: Babylon is fallen, v. 8. though now in all her pride: since God hath pronounced her doom, it is as sure as if already executed. The waters on which she dwelt shall afford her to defence, their courts being diverted, and her rivers dried up by the beforages; nor her treasures protect her, when her time is come, v. 12. Though strong as a mountain, and late the defiance of the nations, v. 25. she is now made a threshing-fear, where all her inhabitants should be beaten in pieces, v. 33. From year to year the rumour comes of the vast preparations made by the Persians; at last they approach, a battle ensues; the Babylonian are routed and driven within their walls, v. 29. nor can these protect them. Whilst there secure they revel, sudden their enemies enter through the bed of the river, and surprise them in their drunken feast. Swift does the dreadful news; messenger upon messenger informs the affrighted king that his city is taken, the passages seized, and residence said, v. 21, 22. The houses are on fire, the bars of the gates broken, v. 30. roaring at their impious carousal, and drunken, they are slain, and lie down to wake on more, v. 38, 39. Daughtered as easily as sheep, v. 40. deluged by the army of the Persians, breaking in like the waves of the sea, v. 42. and utterly desolate, the land becomes a wilderness, the cities uninhabited, v. 43. Their gods falling in the common ruin, and so far from helping their votaries, unable to defend themselves, v. 44. yea, so entirely demolished shall these proud walls be, the wonder of the world, on which several chariots might drive abreast, that there should not be a those left fit for any use, v. 26. her gates burnt with fire, the very foundations raised, and every attempt to repair these desolations for ever fruitless, v. 9, 26, 58.

5. The people of God are warned to flee when they see the ruin approaching, that they may not be involved in it, nor overwhelmed with the terror of the destroying enemy, v. 46. and gladly to accept the offer of liberty which Cyrus shall proclaim to them, v. 45. They who had escaped the sword of the Chaldeans, relieved in mercy for such a time, must have away to their own land. They are called to remember the Lord aforesaid, in the land of their captivity, and to think of Jerusalem, the city of their solemnities, with eager longing to return thither, notwithstanding its present desolate state: at which they were confounded; ashamed to think of their abominations, that had provoked God to give up his sanctuary to the profession of the heathen. But God now hath avenged their quarrel and his own, and condignly punished the Chaldeans and their gods, over whom Israel now may triumph, v. 50-52. Now, (1.) When we know the wrath of God is revealed against a world lying in wretchedness, it is our wisdom to come out from among them, and be separate. (2.) In whatever state of affliction or district we are, it is our duty, and will be our comfort to think upon God, and remember his faithfulness, mercy, and truth.

6. According to their several interests those who hear of Babylon’s fall will be greatly affected. Some with astonishment and deep concern behold her sudden fall, v. 41. and with an exceeding great and bitter cry bewail her desolation: where shall rejoice in it; yea, the very heaves had the earth shall fly, v. 48. giving praise to God for avenging the blood of his fallers, and for the recovery of his people from captivity. Throughout the whole description if we compare Rev. xviii. with this chapter, we shall see the strongest resemblance in the expressions; and as now this proud city here devoted to ruin hath been for many ages desolate, according to the prophetic word; so surely shall Babylon mystical, the city of Rome, and the tyranny of popery, be destroyed, when God’s time of vengeance comes.

7. ¶ The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaleiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign: and this Seraiah was a quiet prince. 60. So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, and all these words that are written against Babylon. 61. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words. 62. Then thou shalt say, O LORD, thou hast spoken

against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. 63. And it shall be when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and call it into the midst of Euphrates. 64. And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 51:59-64

The prophecy concerning Babylon was long and terrible. We have here.

1. A copy of it written and sent to the captive Jews in Babylon, by Seraiah, a quiet prince in these ambulant times, who was for peace; and it is spoken of to his honour. He accompanied Zedekiah, as our version renders the words, or was sent from Zedekiah, as his ambassador to Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of his reign, and forty years before the distinction of Babylon.

2. He is enjoined to read the words of the roll when he came to Babylon, in the presence of the captive Jews, for their encouragement; for however improbable the event, when they considered that soft city, so populous, and strongly fortified, the accomplishment of God’s word was sure. Now, The eye of faith flaggers at no difficulties; if God hath promised, that is enough.

3. He must make a solemn profession of his own faith in the truth of what he had read, that it would surely be faithful, v. 62. and then in the presence of the people must be a stone to the roll, and call it into the river Euphrates, explaining the sign, that thus should Babylon sink, and never rise up again; wearied out with her plagues, exhausted, and unable to repair her desolations. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah; not that this was the last of his prophecies, but that here the burden of Babylon ends. With full greater magnificence is the fall of Babylon mystical represented, Rev. xviii. 21. and when God’s final wrath is proved not upon the ungodly, their rain will be irrecoverable and eternal.